The youngest sister of Brazilian footballer Hulk was returned unharmed this afternoon after being held by a gang of kidnappers, police revealed.

Angelica Aparecida Vieira, 22, arrived back at her parents home in Campina Grande, northeast Brazil, at around 12pm local time.

She had been left on the road near the house by a silver Honda car, according to reports.

Kidnapped: Angelica Aparecida Vieira, 22, the youngest sister of Brazil international player Hulk, was snatched at gunpoint as she parked in front of a restaurant in the family's hometown of Campina Grande

The only witness to the crime, Helio
da Silva, the owner of another restaurant where Ms Vieira worked as a
nutritionist, had just stepped out of her car when the gang struck.

No comment: Police have confirmed the abduction, but Hulk's family, most of whom still live in Campina Grande, have so far not commented on it

He was taken to hospital suffering from shock but was later released.

Police have not yet confirmed how many people were involved in the abduction.

Ms Vieira is one of six sisters of soccer star Hulk, 26, who became Brazil's second most expensive footballer in September after a £32million move from Porto to Zenit St Petersburg.

The forward - real name Givanildo Vieira de Souza - is regularly called up on international duty and was part of the Brazil squad which won a silver medal in this summer's London Olympics.

He is thought to earn £100,000 a week.

Hulk's family, most of whom still live in Campina Grande, have so far not commented on the incident.

The striker is said to be exceptionally close to his family, in particular his sister.

Brazil team-mate and Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva yesterday took to Twitter to express his sympathy.

He wrote: 'I want to offer my friend HULK support. Much strength friend, I am praying that this will be resolved as soon as possible. Hugs.'

It is not the first time organised kidnapping gangs in Brazil have targeted the family of super-rich soccer stars.

The mother of former Man City winger Robinho was held hostage for 40 days after being snatched by kidnappers at her home in Praia Grande, Sao Paulo state, in November 2004.

She was released unharmed after a ransom was paid.

And in May 1994 the late father of Brazil legend Romario, then playing for Barcelona was kidnapped as he left a bar in Rio de Janeiro and held for a £4million ransom.

Police freed Edevair Faria seven days later after bursting in on the kidnappers' lair.

Home town: Campina Grande, where Ms Vieira was taken from outside a restaurant

Another of Ms Vieira's brother's Tiago Alves, 23, told Brazilian news website NE10 that she left home earlier yesterday morning for Mauricio de Nassau university, where she is studying nutrition.

At 1pm she met up with restauranteur Helio da Silva, who is also her course coordinator, and the two headed to a restaurant in the Catole district where Ms Vieira was due to present a seminar.

He said: 'Helio told us that when they arrived at the restaurant he left the vehicle first, then moments later, the gangsters jumped inside the car and took my sister without a trace.'

He said Helio called Ms Vieira's mobile phone straight after the abduction.

He said: 'A man answered who said he was her husband, then hung up, but Angelica's husband was here at home with us.

'My other sister tried to call her again, but by then her phone was switched off.'

Ms Vieira is married with two children, a two-year-old boy and a girl, four.

Hulk's father and the family's private security agents were accompanying the work of the police.

Jose Alberto Carlos, the director of a football school belonging to the player's Hulk Foundation for poor children in the city said the star is closely followed the case from St Petersburg.

It is not known how much the kidnappers had demanded for her ransom or how much the family had paid to secure her release.

Earlier it had been reported that the family had asked the police to stay away from the case, suggesting contact with the gang had been made.

Police chief Marcos Paulo Vilela said that officers had interviewed Ms Vieira at the house.He said more details of the case will be revealed at a press conference tomorrow.